Mike Pence while in Congress was critical of the federal government's budget deficit. But as governor, he's relying on federal dollars to meet demands in Indiana.

Written by

Tad DeHaven

When he was a high-ranking conservative Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives, Mike Pence was a chief critic of Washington's out-of-control spending and growing debt. Now that he is Indiana's governor, Pence is dependent on the same federal largesse that he bemoaned. Most Hoosiers would be surprised to know that under Pence's first budget proposal, federal funds would have accounted for around 35 percent of total state spending.

Indiana state government is not unique in this regard and Pence's predecessor, Mitch Daniels, was similarly dependent on federal money. Indeed, ...